Canadian Man Convicted After Stealing Flamingo From Las Vegas Hotel
Tourist Convicted of Animal Cruelty for Snatching Vegas Flamingo
“He should not have done that, should not have gone into the habitat, shouldn’t have touched a bird, shouldn’t have taken Peachy inside,” defense attorney Josh Tomsheck told jurors during the trial.
A Canadian tourist was convicted of animal cruelty charges Monday after taking a 27-year-old Chilean flamingo named Peachy from its enclosure at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. Mitchell Fairbarn, of Ontario, carried the squawking bird from its habitat to his hotel room on March 3 in what prosecutors described as a malicious prank.
Jurors returned felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty convictions against Fairbarn after roughly five hours of deliberations in a Nevada court. Prosecutors argued that the tourist willfully caused the bird physical pain, pointing to feathers discovered on the hotel floor and video footage showing the flamingo being pulled by its feet.
Defense attorneys maintained that the incident was drunken foolishness rather than a planned attack. Tomsheck told the court that his client deeply regretted the bad decisions he made while intoxicated, emphasizing that Fairbarn never intended any harm to the bird.
“The truth is, Mitch was drunk. Mitch was stupid. He made bad decisions,” Tomsheck said.
Veterinarian Details Post-Incident Anxiety in Peachy
While physical injuries to the bird’s wings and blood on its feathers have largely healed, psychological impacts remain. Tiffany Moore, medical director of Lone Mountain Animal Hospital and Peachy’s veterinarian, noted that the flamingo has been doing all right physically since the March incident. However, Moore stated that the animal is now more anxious and nervous when being evaluated.
Hotel security staff initially reported the missing bird, prompting a response from Las Vegas police. Authorities located the flamingo missing seven to eight feathers alongside visible injuries.
Fairbarn Faces Prison Time Before December Sentencing
Fairbarn remains under house arrest pending a sentencing hearing scheduled for Dec. 1. He faces up to four years in prison for the felony conviction and an additional six months for the misdemeanor count.
Clark County prosecutor Haley Willming addressed external pressures surrounding the defendant during court proceedings, noting that Fairbarn received death threats and was unable to leave the United States when his father died while awaiting trial. Willming argued that those unfortunate events stemmed directly from the initial choices made by the defendant.
Following the verdict, Fairbarn declined to comment as he left the courtroom with his wife, showing no visible emotion. Legal counsel also declined to speak with reporters.
Nevada Advocates Applaud Verdict on Animal Protection Laws
John Waudby, a Nevada animal rights advocate who recently helped strengthen the state’s animal cruelty laws, spoke outside the courtroom following the jury’s decision.
“I hope this sends a message to anybody else that wants to mess with our animals, that you’re not going to do it in Nevada,” Waudby said.